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Verin

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The Universe
Plasma/energy weapons:
These range anywhere from pistols to hand grenades, from sniper riffles to tanks.
NOTE: Helga's speciality is with an energy sniper/tactical riffle. Because of her artificial eye, she has no need of a scope. Yes, she was left-eye-dominant to begin with.
Other:
Tablets- people finally started realizing how bad bright screens were for the eyes, and... Everything else. The standard tablet works like a scroll, with the actual screen being completely transparent. Content such as words appear in bold letters that stand out from the rest of the environment.
Vehicles- Cars run completely on auto-pilot for anyone who isnt smart enough to know how to override. However, being smart enough to know how to be rid of the auto-pilot does not mean you're a genius. Human driving is illegal when on a road system. They also hover, and no one remembers what it's like to drive down a bumpy road and have their butts go numb from the vibration.
Body modifications- Modifications have gone beyond piercings and tattoos. Some people who may be considered bolder than the average norm, are able to have their very DNA altered to grow any sort of appendage they want. Tails, ears, fur; all of these are common among rebels. Amputation is required to be rid of extra limbs, as the process is irreversible.

The Mechs
Replacing the usual combat vehicles of most human military forces, these machines stand between 7 to 17 meters tall. Powered by fusion engines located beneath the cockpit, these mechanical monstrosities are capable of traveling at speeds exceeding that of tanks. Utilizing the excess energy
from their engines, they're able to support an impressive array of weapons in their hardpoints.

Utilizing a titanium-tungsten alloy for the skeleton and armor of the mech, these machines are practically impervious to small arms fire. However, the shields they are supplied with are only capable of deflecting energy-based weaponry, with mass rounds not even phased. In most scenarios, the only thing that can destroy a mech is another mech or prepared fortifications. OTG rounds can easily cripple a mech, however, as they don't stand a chance against the massive ship-carried batteries.

Plot:
Mankind has been at war for nearly 23 years now. Their allies are a race of highly intelligent insects called Sectids, and the warrior reptilian species of a planet too close to the sun for human comfort. The enemies: the Greys.
Sectids- have been Earths closest allies for nearly a hundred years. On their home planet -- a place that should be a massive dust bowl -- their biggest export is a variety of exotic fruits.
Reptilians- Not much is known about them, as they've only made their existence known within he past five years. Some things that we do know: they live on a planet where the average temperature is 109 degrees Farenheit, and they seem to like it that way. The atmosphere on their ships is always hot and dry. Another known fact, is that the Reptilians are a rather violent race of hunters and predators. Eat or be eaten. So far, this species is only considered Earths ally because the two races have a common enemy...
Greys- are a dark race that has plagued humankinds nightmares for many, many, many years. Standing, the average Grey stands at nearly nine feet tall, with long arms and legs, and small, black eyes. The Greys largest advantage over the human military is their telepathic abilities. Soldiers go through training, but sometimes it's not enough to keep these aliens out of their heads.
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Watching the time slowly tick away on his old-styled watch, Lieutenant Alexander Verodin idly wondered when his wingman was supposed to get here. He remembered them telling him that it was a young woman, but nothing much beyond that. Swinging his legs atop Stomper, he studied his tablet as he checked off that each part of the mech was in the right place. Equipment hardpoints, check. Armor, check. Engine working... Looking to the side, he shouted at his crew chief "Mike, the engine up and ready to go?" Getting a thumbs up, he continues to go through the check list.

Currently aboard Olympus Station in the Delta Aquila system, he leaned back on his mech, sighing as he patted it's armored shoulder. She's taking too damn long...Better be worth the wait.
 
Wether or not Lieutenant Helga Onterio was 'worth it' had yet to be seen. The Department of Planetary Defense certainly seemed to think so, as they had not only paid for the majority of the cybernetic replacements of lost limbs, but had even allowed her to return to work. All in all, she had handled everything relatively well, her psych evaluation coming back... Remarkably clean, despite the traumatic loss of her entire platoon. All in all, she had handled everything relatively well.

"Lieutenant Helga Onterio, reporting for duty," she called formally, if perhaps a little cliche-y. She was looking up at her new partner, the pilot, with the side of her right hand to her forehead in a salute. Her left hand stayed by her side, and she didn't move it. Robotics were a strange thing, even after nine months of therapy. The left side of her face still had some scar tissue in the shape that was characteristic of maulings, being a shade or two paler than the rest of her fair face. Her whole left ear was gone, replaced with a fist-sized chunk of machinery. It wasn't gruesome, it was just war.

Her right hand fell back, opposite her left one. Both hands were gloved, clad in black leather. A smirk crossed her lips then, golden eyes peering up at this Lt. Alexander. Formality was a font.
 
Moving his gaze from the tablet to the woman below him, he smiles as he puts his arm through a sling on the gantry. With a pulse through the circuitry implanted in his hands, the sling rapidly carries him down from the shoulder of his Mech to the deck. Stepping up to Helga, he snaps a salute, before clasping his hands behind him. "So, you're my wingman?" He looks her over, startled slightly by her scars but recovering well "Least you're no greenie." He offers her a hand "Since we're working together, you can call me Alexander or Alex. I don't really feel we need to have all formalities between us." His amber eyes glint mischievously, his casual manner betraying his disregard for normal procedure when meeting another officer.
 
"Well then, Alex, it's good to meet you. Good to get back to work," she nodded, looking from the pilot to the mech. She had noticed his unease at seeing her scars, but she dismissed it. Head both have to get over it if they were going to work together, and that was all there was to it.

Helga's thoughts on the pilot, Alex, weren't a hundred percent professional. But then, whose thoughts ever were? He didn't seem to stand out too much, didn't seem to be any more of an individual than anyone else. Though, she caught the smallest glimpse of his neck, the tip of a scar. They had at least that much in common. Maybe. Her thoughts drifted to her numb left arm.

"So, is there a back seat installed? I do a mean cover-fire." Helga turned back to face him, putting her right hand on her hip as she leaned to one side. Her bangs covered her forehead easily, though they weren't long enough to get in her eyes. The same was true about the rest of her dirty blond hair, it being well cared for, but not long enough to put up or to get in the way.
 
"No, sorry. They decided the grunts didn't need a roof, so they just gave you a position on the mech's shoulder. The shields will protect you from energy-based, but for solid-mass you're just gonna need to duck. I don't expect that'll be to much of a problem, though." Giving her a grin, he then tilts his head inquisitively "Do you have any information on our orders? I wasn't told anything."

In his mind, Alex was content. An experienced wingman who, he thought as he glanced at her scars again, had obviously seen serious action. Not to mention, she wasn't hard on the eyes, even with her injuries. A smile spills onto his face, as he turns to look over Stomper.
 
"Our first mission together isn't anything too terribly special," Helga shared. She had just come from the offices anyways, to get checked in, have everything looked over one last time before they turned her loose. "Guard duty. There's a convoy on an outpost planet going from point A to point B with important supplies. Evidently the wildlife is less than welcoming." It had been a pretty simple briefing that Helga had gotten, so that's what she gave him.

"Oh, and, I'm sure they'll be reminded later, but I'm no simple grunt." It was said with a smile, all in good spirits. She could live without a roof, she didn't mind being on a shoulder and would most likely even work better that way. So long as the mechs movement wasn't too much a of a nuisance. Supposedly, her new eye was supposed to help with those kinds of things, though.
 
He nods as she tells him about their mission "Simple enough. Probably just a trial run for this pairing." He laughs at the second part, the smile transforming to a grin "You're more than welcome to the spot. I'll be happy in my cockpit, personally. Do you know when we're loading up to leave?" He turns to resume his inspection, examining the armor, gyros, and hydraulics in Stomper's legs.
 
"1500 hours," she told him, standing a little straighter. A robotic left arm wheezed to life as she drew it up, crossing both arms over her rather flat chest. She remembered when they had first said the arm was operational. It was a work in progress at the time, so the synthetic nerves in the fingertips weren't even working. It had felt so unnatural, and, yet, she could have sworn she could feel a sharp pain all the way down to her wrist. The doctors had called it a 'phantom limb', and had left it at that. Helga had hated the thing for the longest time. Her handwriting was almost indecipherable for a while; holding her riffle felt less than real. Then, after about three months, they had finally gotten it right. The first thing she had felt with her left hand since the attack, was the golden retriever that came to the hospital to see the patients. The children loved that dog. Helga had just been leaving, her spirits all the way down to the bottoms of her feet, when the retriever stopped at her left side. To her delight, she could feel, the sensation of stroking the soft, brown gold fur finally registering the way it should.
 
"Not all that much time... Oh well. Stomper and I will be ready." He makes an effort to keep himself occupied, because otherwise he'd just stare at her scars and replacements, and everything would be fouled up. No, he wouldn't ruin their partnership because of his curiosity. Continuing his checklist, calls back to her "Anything else you were told?" Clamboring up some rungs up the side of the mech, he verified their integrity to make sure they'd be able to support his new wingman,
 
"You pilots all name your 'bots?" She asked, watching as he climbed up the massive thing, tilting her head back. It seemed like a decent piece of machinery, all in all. "The only other information that I was given about the odds that'll be against us on this mission. The place is a jungle with things that could swallow you and I both whole. Sounds fun, right?" Helga uncrossed her arms and played with her balance, shifting from one foot to the other, her left arm wheezing as it swayed at her side.

***
​
Oh, sure, it was daylight on the planet, but it didn't exactly make so much of a difference. The rich, green canopy overhead blotched out nearly 85% of the sunlight, and what light was there looked green from sifting through the leaves. The convoy was on the same level as the ground, hovering a decent three feet above the pitch black soil and the occasional patch of algae-like moss. The trees, they were massive, every single one of them being bigger than anything on Earth. Occasionally, the group would pass a tree with a huge hole in the base, where it had started as a sapling on top of another tree that had fallen. The remnants of the older tree were about nothing more than some old, rotten splinters and wilted growth under the superior.

Helga sat at her station, an energy riffle cradled in her arms like and infant. There was no scope on the thing, just the normal sights that came with brand new guns, perhaps like what was on every pistol. Some might have thought her arrogant, but the simple truth was that she was left-eye dominant, and that left eye had been replaced with top-notch technology. Closing her right eye, she basically had a built in scope she could access at any time. Useful, for her line of work.
 
Seated inside of Stomper's cockpit, Alex felt that he was king of the world. With a Valkyrie 80mm Magnetic Cannon in the mech's hands and a Hornet Micro-Rocket package in the shoulder hardpoint, he was glad that he wasn't out in the oppressing jungle atmosphere. Stalking along smoothly alongside the convoy, he was constantly sweeping the area on magnetic sensors. Checking his external cameras, he grins as he sees Helga hanging on. Keying their shared comm frequency, he quips "Smooth enough ride for you?"

Manipulating the Mech through his built-in circuitry in his palms, he controlled the Mech withthe experience that came from many campaigns. Losing himself in the controlled rythym of its strides, he sighs inwardly. One of these days, he'd go on one to many missions.
 
Perhaps this was that mission? It was doubtful.

"Yeah, smooth as a baby's ass," she grumbled, her boots planted firmly on one of the rungs, her robotic arm holding onto another. One plus of robotic limbs, were that they didn't tire. The downside, was that sometimes they just stopped working. The doctors had warned her of that when they had discharged her with the new machinery, and they had kept reminding her.

Something off in the distance rumbled, the trees and the ground and the foliage shook for a moment. Some wildlife scrambled, a form of avian flew overhead. In an instant, Helga had her gun raised, her superior eye scanning for specific disturbances. There was nothing close, nothing that one could see with the naked eye, not even one that was enhanced with high-definition zoom capabilities.

"Hey, Alex... Is there anything on sensors?" She asked, her voice a static whisper over the comm link.
 
Noting the anomaly on seismic sensors, he halts the Mech as its cannon is raised in that direction "There's something, not sure. According to sensors, though, if isn't small." Grumbling softly, he looks over the sensors to make sure he isn't missing anything. "200 meters ahead, so its in the thick of the jungle. See anything I'm missing?"
 
Helga lowered her rifle just enough to see over the sights. Right eye closed, the aforementioned area in front of her was enlarged, details showing up as if she were actually standing so close to the brush. The workings of her inner ear strained, picking up on the different sounds of the jungle; the static noise from the communications, the constant hum of the machinery, a distant call of some strange, alien animal that inhabits this world. Everything, from where she was sitting, seemed peaceful and quiet.

Then something moved in the distance. Avian creatures took to the strangely colored, green sky in all different directions, and somewhere in the forest a tree was felled. The shutters of Helga's eye closed and opened, showing her the world in infrared. A massive, red and orange, fiery blotch was growing in her vision, something huge, something biped and full of sharp edges.

"Alex, Alex, get the caravan moving!" She called urgently, never taking her eyes off of the massive creature as it grew closer, grew bigger like a marshmallow left in the microwave for too long. Except, this marshmallow had legs and scales and claws and teeth. Her vision switched back to normal as she heard the other mechs in the group turn to face the sound of trees crashing to the ground and bushes being flattened under enormous feet. The monster was huge, king of the land with vibrant, bright blue markings along it's back, the only thing that stuck out among the foliage. It almost looked like an ancient dinosaur from Earth, though this was much more closely related to mammals than birds. Long, forward arm-like appendages nearly scrapped the ground, while it's broad shoulders hosted a separate pair of limbs. It's snout was long, shaped almost like that of a spade, jaws clamping ship and opening again to snap at the world around it. Mammoth sized legs shaped like a horses hindquarters pumped to carry it forward with speed, straight for the collection of metal vehicles.

Helga fired off a single shot, and the sound of gunfire was met with a bloodcurdling roar of pain as the beast stumbled, ran it's larger set of arms over its face, tearing away scales and splattering the forrest floor with bright blood.

"Fuck!" She cursed as the beast revitalized and renewed the chase, the round having only grazed it's brow, over the right eye.
 
Noting the urgent tone in her voice, Alex doesn't hesitate. Rapidly tapping a display to the general caravan comm network, he shouted "Get us mobile." Then, returning to the tactical channel, he studies the creature quickly. "Not a pleasant fellow..." As the shot goes off, he studies the beasts reaction. "Maybe we need something a bit bigger." Charging the cannon, he quickly cycles two rounds down range. One hits the ground at the creatures feet with the force of a small car, while the other flies to where it'd slam squarely the thing. Walking the Mech forward, he calls through the comm "Careful, I'm about to do something really stupid." He then walks the Mech forward, to divert the things attention from the fragile caravan.
 
Enraged, it bellowed, moving to step around where the shot from Alex's cannon had hit the ground. The pulse energy round that hit it's make made the massive thing stumble, dazed. Such large rounds were more for impact. It snorted, nostrils flaring as it re-focused its attention, this time on the leading mech.

"This is stupid," Helga grumbled, shifting on the ladder so she could reach into her travel pack. She pulled out a different cartridge than the one currently inside her riffle, then made the move to switch the two.

Everything about their opponent was huge. It was nearly beyond mammoth in size, and so it would take more than mere, brute force to break it's enforced bones.

"Alex, get me closer," Helga ordered over the communications system strapped to the shoulder of her jacket.
 
Spinning the cannon up in case they need massive amounts of fire power brought down on the thing, Alex is shocked by the lack of damage to the thing. The cannon, able to rip into Gray vehicles like so many cutouts, hardly bothered this thing. He hardly hears what she says, but hears enough "Are you insane? I'm not planning on having to find a new wingman already!" He fires off another set of shells, all four of them slamming into the creature. "If you want to get close, I'm at least going to give it a headache first."

Continuing to move the Mech around the creature so it didn't see the convoy, Alex grunts in irritation. How did they take this thing down? Every shot seemed to drive that question further, as it continues to get up after every impact.
 
"It's hide is too tough for your shots," Helga explained, her left, mechanical arm hooked around one of the rungs of the ladder, supporting her as she loaded the specialized bullets into her weapon. Dual-purpose barrels were infinitely useful, especially since such a feature was allowing Helga to fire armor-piercing rounds.

A bloodcurdling roar erupted from the beasts open jaws, fist-sized droplets of drool splattering everywhere. It was right in front of them now, voicing it's irritation. The maw snapped shut, and both Helga and Alex received the look in it's slit eyes.

Mechanical gears turned and the shutter tightened, all as Helga raised the barrel of her riffle. She may have had robot parts, but her mind was far from that of an actual super computer. She didn't quite have the same speed, but she still focused, still aimed to take the shot. She had a split second.

BANG!

Screeching, rumbling, the sound of robotics; it was noisy for a moment after the initial shot, a fine spray of blood and eye fluids spurting from the side of the monsters face. It reeled back, Helga kept her riffle up, fired again as soon as the beast turned it's head. Another spray, and Helga finally lowered her weapon.

"That should at least slow it down enough for everyone to get away." She tapped the cockpit with the back of her right fist, keeping her eyes on the flailing monster as it fell to the ground and wailed.
 
"Nice shooting. I'll have to see about armor piercing being one of my choices next time we doanything." He watches the creature in silence for a minute, the Mech still as it thrashed. "I don't feel like we should just leave it like this. It'll rampage and cause havoc for everything, so we should finish the job." The Mech takes a step back, as the sensors on the front slowly begin sweeping.

"If I'm right about what's going to happen next, it may be smart to hop off for the moment. It's likely going to be a really rough ride." Slowly beginning to spin the magnets up again, he said "Besides, it's weakened and confused. If we can get something for armor out of that thing... it'll be worth the risk, right?"
 
"If you say so," Helga sighed, looking back and forth between the cockpit of the mech and the giant monster that continued to thrash and flail about on the forest floor. Hesitantly, she climbed down the ladder, eventually jumping off the last rung to the ground, a few, plus-sized bushes rustling as she pushed through them.

It was Alex's turn to be the hero, and she could accept that. Under the protection of one of the large jungle trees, Helga stood on the sidelines and watched, her riffle held against her shoulder.
 
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